On Wednesday, the Republican-controlled Iowa House passed the appropriations bill from the Health and Human Services Committee. This bill would remove state funding for Planned Parenthood, a victory for unborn lives all across Iowa. However, this bill still needed to come to a vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate. On Friday, the vote did not pass…with a 25-25 tied vote.
Folks, the Iowa Legislature was a single vote away from defunding Planned Parenthood. This bill will now move on to a conference committee with members of both chambers. The likelihood of it passing the conference committee is now very high. This means that Iowa could be the 10th state in the Union to quit funding the corrupt activities of Planned Parenthood with state taxpayer money.
The passage of this bill (HF2460) would be a victory for the unborn in the state of Iowa, and for everyone who supports their right to life. The relevant language in the bill:
Iowans support reducing the number of abortions performed in our state. Funds appropriated under this section shall not be used for abortions, unless other wise authorized under this section. The provisions of this section relating to abortions shall also apply to the Iowa health and wellness plan created pursuant to chapter 249N.
The language above prevents funding for abortions, but where the defunding actually occurs can be found later in the bill when discussing the state family planning services program.
4. Distribution of family planning services program funds shall not be made to any entity that performs abortions or that maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed. For the purposes of this section, “abortion” does not include any of the following:
a. The treatment of a woman for a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death.
b. The treatment of a woman for a spontaneous abortion, commonly known as a miscarriage, when not all of the products of human conception are expelled.
5. Family planning services program funds distributed in accordance with this section shall not be used for direct or indirect costs, including but not limited to administrative costs or expenses, overhead, employee salaries, rent, and telephone and other utility costs, related to providing abortions as specified in subsection 4.
This language would prevent direct and indirect funding to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has been under investigation by the United States House Committee on Oversight for some months after videos revealing their illegal sale and distribution of the body parts of aborted babies came to light. Since that point, the Oversight committee has discovered that not only do abortions represent over 10% of the ‘services’ rendered (bringing in over 25% of revenue) instead of the 3% that Planned Parenthood claims, but PP is also not the primary giver of mammograms like claimed, PP is self-sustained and does not need government funding, salaries paid are lucrative and that numerous alternatives to PP exist.
Planned Parenthood performs just under half of the abortions in the United States. They have killed 1.65 MILLION babies in the past five years. This is an organization that tax payers should NOT be funding. Thankfully, with a little pressure from constituents, the outcome of defunding language remaining in HF2460 after conference committee looks hopeful. Want to be a part of defunding Planned Parenthood in Iowa and standing up for the unborn? Email as many Democrat Senators as you can (with the exclusion of Senator Dr. Joe Seng, a pro-life Democrat who stood up for the unborn with his vote on this bill)! You can find a list that includes their contact information here.
